Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation from the “Japan Strategic Studies Forum” and “Fukwo Club” today (7th), expressing that in the face of the continuous expansion of authoritarianism, Taiwan will continue to strengthen its defense forces and overall societal resilience. He hopes that Taiwan and Japan will continue to enhance cooperation in various fields to promote peace and prosperity.
The “Japan Strategic Studies Forum” is a civilian think tank, with members including former high-ranking officials from the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and former American officials. The “Fukwo Club” is a Taiwanese civilian group that has long been concerned with national security, societal defense resilience, and international diplomatic exchanges. The “Japan Strategic Studies Forum” and “Fukwo Club” were invited by the Office of the President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to meet with President Lai.
During the meeting this afternoon, President Lai Ching-te, in a speech to the delegation led by former Japanese Defense Minister and member of the House of Representatives, Itsunori Onodera, from the “Japan Strategic Studies Forum” and “Fukwo Club,” expressed a warm welcome on behalf of the Taiwanese people. Especially in times of rapid geopolitical changes in the Indo-Pacific region, everyone’s actions of supporting Taiwan are highly appreciated by the people of Taiwan.
President Lai expressed his concern and sympathy towards Japan following the recent earthquake in Kumamoto, wishing for minimal damage through the efforts of the Japanese government and a swift recovery for the affected residents to return to normal life.
Lai Ching-te emphasized the mutual support and care between Taiwan and Japan during natural disasters in the past, demonstrating a strong bond between the two countries. In the face of authoritarian expansion, he expressed gratitude for the joint efforts of the “Fukwo Club” and “Japan Strategic Studies Forum” in holding a policy simulation in Taiwan. This initiative aims to advocate for the establishment of a trilateral cooperation mechanism among Taiwan, Japan, and the United States, inviting Japanese parliament members and Taiwanese and Japanese experts to discuss and brainstorm ideas on the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait and regional security.
President Lai stated that Taiwan is committed to safeguarding its own country and maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. After taking office, he continuously strengthened the national defense forces, with this year’s defense budget exceeding 3% of GDP for the first time in Taiwan’s history. Additionally, the “Society-wide Defense Resilience Committee” was established in the Presidential Office to systematically promote national defense among all sectors of society and facilitate civil-military cooperation to collectively safeguard national security.
He mentioned that the annual “Han Kuang Exercise,” Taiwan’s most important military exercise, began a few days ago. This year, local governments and civil society are collaborating to promote resilience exercises to enhance cooperation and response capabilities between the central and local governments, as well as between the government and the private sector.
President Lai expressed his deep hope for like-minded countries to deepen their partnerships, promote peace, prosperity, and development, and believed that with the support of the distinguished guests, Taiwan and Japan will continue to strengthen cooperation in economic and trade security, high-tech industries, social resilience, and other common fields to jointly achieve the vision of a “free and open Indo-Pacific.”
He pointed out that this vision, proposed by former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is also a shared vision of the international community. Taiwan will work diligently with Japan and other democratic countries to pursue this goal.
In his address, Itsunori Onodera, the member of the House of Representatives, first thanked President Lai and the Taiwanese government officials for accommodating the delegation. He mentioned that politicians in both Japan and Taiwan share the common goal of pursuing national peace and prosperity. However, given the current international situation with conflicts like the war in Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East, many countries still attempt to use force to change the status quo, including the recent military activities by the Chinese Communist Party mentioned by President Lai.
To ensure peace in East Asia, Itsunori Onodera emphasized the necessity for close cooperation between Japan, Taiwan, and the United States. The “Japan Strategic Studies Forum” has conducted numerous scenario simulations to research how to maintain regional peace in emergency situations and the response measures Japan should take. Each simulation session invites relevant participants from Taiwan and the U.S. to collaborate based on their past experiences.
With the assistance of the “Fukwo Club” and relevant individuals from Taiwan, the “Japan Strategic Studies Forum” will conduct scenario simulations in Taiwan for the first time. It is believed that through various exercises and preparations, they can become an important deterrent force in maintaining regional peace. Finally, he expressed sincere gratitude to President Lai and the “Fukwo Club” for facilitating this exchange opportunity and to all participants from the “Japan Strategic Studies Forum” for their assistance.
The Office of the President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) stated that today’s visiting delegation members also include Japanese National Diet members, such as Senator Harumi Arimura and Representatives Takashi Yamashita, Takuotsuka, Yunosuke Kashima, as well as a national policy consultant at the Office of the President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Honorary Chairman of the Fukwo Club, Lin Yimin.